


November Pink

by MissLouisa



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-24
Updated: 2013-11-24
Packaged: 2017-12-31 05:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1027642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissLouisa/pseuds/MissLouisa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cora can barely remember what it's like to do the proper family thing - she moved around from pack to pack for the years she was missing, like an unwanted foster child, and she's experienced Thanksgiving and Christmas with families, but they haven't been her own family in a long long time. </p><p>-</p><p>Somehow, Cora and Derek end up hosting Thanksgiving for Lydia and the Stilinskis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	November Pink

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Piscaria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piscaria/gifts).



> The prompts you listed were fantastic, and I hope I worked with them in a way you enjoy! This was so much fun to write.

Cora can barely remember what it's like to do the proper family thing - she moved around from pack to pack for the years she was "missing", like an unwanted foster child, and she's experienced Thanksgiving and Christmas with families, but they haven't been her own family in a long long time. As much as various packs have tried to make her feel welcome, though some of them hardly tried at all, she always had that a very visceral of her mother burning the turkey, and swearing profusely at it. Her dad had laughed warmly while her mother flushed and apologized, and then he'd run out to find alternative food.

It's the most vivid memory she has of _before_ , and now she's got Derek back, she wants to try for something like it again.

"So, Thanksgiving," she says, on a cold November Tuesday. Derek's sprawled out on the sofa, an ancient looking book hovering reading distance from his face. 

"Thanksgiving," he repeats flatly. 

"Could we- have dinner, or something? Nothing big, I just - it's family, right?"

Derek puts his book down, and sits up. They haven't talked about the years between them, not really. Their month long road trip, escape from Beacon Hills, had been about getting to know each other again, not going over the past. Water under the bridge, and all that.

Cora knows Derek likes his coffee black, doesn't have a favorite movie, and compulsively devours books of every genre. She doesn't know what little tidbits Derek gleaned about her from the long hours on the road.

"Turkey, gravy, potatoes and sharing what we're thankful for?" Derek says skeptically.

Cora nods, throat a little dry. "We don't have to make a big thing of it," she tells him, and Derek nods.

"Yeah, okay," he says, and lies back down.

It doesn't even look like a good book, Cora thinks, but she knows she's thoroughly dismissed.

She's got places to be, anyway. 

-

Cora's not sure about round two of high school just yet. She's pretty savvy, she thinks, enough that she doesn't really need a diploma to survive in the world. Well, that, and she's got the inheritance, even though Derek's limiting her access to it until she turns 21. (She doesn't know why he thinks that's such a magic age - surely it's just prime time for her to spend it all on drinking?) 

She's pretty sure Derek wants her socialized - while they were away, he'd mentioned how he'd felt like he missed out because he got a G.E.D. instead of going through with the rest of his peer group. She knows she can be abrasive, but she's not sure that's a social thing so much as it is hereditary, given what she's got to go on. She likes some people, though - her initial attraction to Lydia has flourished into a full blown crush, though she likes to think she's more subtle about it than Stiles was, and Scott is good people. Stiles is a little much for her, even on a good day, and Allison puts her defenses up.

She'll never like the twins, she thinks, but Isaac's okay. He misses Boyd and Erica just as much as she does, and she's not sure she's ready to talk about that, yet.

She does, sometimes, feel a little pathetic for tagging along with her older brother's ragtag ex-pack. She should be able to find her own friends, make her own way. But Beacon Hills is a small town, with a small high school, and people talk.

There's safety in numbers, and you can't help but feel like you know someone a little after something like the Darach mess, so Cora know she'll end up sticking with Scott McCall and his confused entourage.

She likes to think that she might teach them something about the real world, some day. Maybe about what werewolf packs are really like, when they grow up together, surrounded by each other, and exist constantly in the same space.

They're too splintered to be really powerful at the moment, and she's never met a wolf pack with a banshee in it, and it's so different to any pack she's ever experienced. She wants to write down the way they behave, make a study of it, but Lydia's probably already keeping track better than Cora ever could.

Lydia's brain is scary powerful, sometimes, when she stands at the front of math class and just knows how to manipulate the numbers just so, and then half an hour later she's manipulating people with just the same ease.

Cora doesn't know why, but she _wants._ Lydia's all perfection, with strawberry blonde hair and killer heels, and it's not even just a physical thing. Cora wants to get wrapped up in her ridiculously large brain, wants to tease out her vulnerabilities.

Lydia's Cora's ideal woman, sharp edges hidden in beautiful curves. Cora likes people with sharp edges - it's probably a bad habit.

She's not sure Lydia gives a shit about her at all, but she's not going to be like Stiles - she's not going to spend years watching and waiting and hoping and pretending she has a chance.

Cora's got to make her move - she just needs to decide when. 

-

Lydia's watching the track team practice when Cora joins her on the cold metal bench. She's not sure why Lydia hasn't given up this habit, given that she no longer dates anyone on the track team, but Allison is here too, and there seems to be more gossiping than actual watching at the moment.

"Stiles has been staring at you a lot less lately," Allison points out.

Lydia shrugs, twirls her hair around one finger. "We're friends," she says. 

"Very mature of him," Cora chips in, and Lydia smirks. 

"I was pretty surprised by it, too."

"Personal growth," Allison muses, and they all giggle a little (well, Lydia and Allison do. Cora smirks. She's not that good at being a teenager yet).

Lydia's wearing a hat today - Cora likes hats. Likes wearing them, likes looking at girls in them. She has a thing about hats. It's not weird, and the dark wool on Lydia's glossy red hair is making it hard for her to make conversation.

She kind of wants to steal the hat, but feels like she's losing the veneer of subtlety every second she spends even looking at it.

Cora doesn't catch Allison glancing between her and Lydia before she makes her excuses, a vague, "I have a place to be," comment. 

"So," Lydia says briskly, looking out at the field. "Which one would you do?"

"I'm gay," Cora says quietly, without looking around.

"You know there are girls on the track team too, right?" Lydia says, and Cora can hear the smile in her voice, so she turns to look. 

"Not my type," Cora says, but her voice sounds very distant, and when she turns back, Lydia is looking right at her. 

"What is your type?" Lydia says.

Cora swallows. "Isn't it obvious?" She says dryly. 

Lydia smiles confidently, but Cora thinks there might be a waver in it.

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" Lydia asks, and Cora grins.

"Nothing," Cora says.

"Wrong," Lydia tells her, and Cora just _knows_ she has one of those smiles she's always looked down on, but she can't really help it. 

-

Derek doesn't really question where she's going when she heads out, and she's glad he's not trying to be a pseudo parent. That would be exhausting. 

Lydia asked Cora to meet her at the rental store. Cora really, really hopes that Lydia doesn't expect her to sit through The Notebook. It's overwhelmingly not Cora's kind of movie, and she's heard enough of the joking in their friendship group to know that that's mostly what Lydia put Jackson through. 

"Get snacks," Lydia says. "I'm picking the movie."

Shit, Cora thinks, but she doesn't have time to argue before Lydia pushes her in the direction of the shelves of food.

Cora doesn't know much about Lydia's eating habits, so she kind of grabs one of everything and heads to the checkout. Lydia's apparently beaten her there, and won't show her what movie she's about to rent. Cora doesn't have a fucking clue what to make of that.

By the time they get back to Lydia's (her parents are out, apparently), Cora still doesn't know what the movie is, but she does know that Lydia's allergic to peanuts. It's the kind of useful fact she likes to collect, the kind she wishes she knew more about people around her - Derek, Scott, Allison, and yeah, Lydia. 

The movie turns out to be this artsy indie flick, not at all what Cora was expecting from Lydia, who flashes her a shy smile.

"Not what were you expecting?" Lydia says.

"Why do you inflict The Notebook on people if you're into this stuff?"

Lydia shrugs. "With Jackson, it was a control thing. Aiden, a keeping up appearances thing."

Cora twists her mouth into a wry smile, and says, "I'm flattered then, I think."

Lydia nods. "It's bad manners to talk about exes on the first date," she says, but she's got a twinkle in her eye which says that she doesn't really give a shit.

Cora likes that twinkle.

-

Derek doesn't question the lipstick Cora almost certainly had on her face when she walks in, doesn't mention the lateness of the hour.

"Thanksgiving," he says, and Cora nods.

"What about it?" She asks.

"You really want to do this?" 

Cora blinks at him. "Yeah."

"We could make it a pack thing," Derek suggests quietly. 

Cora shrugs. "I thought - they'd all be with their families."

Derek tightens his lips. "Stiles said his dad was working," he says, and Cora has to bite her lip to stop from smiling, because Scott hasn't even been told that, but Derek has.

She doesn't know what's going on between the two of them, and she doesn't entirely trust Stiles, but she wants to see where it'll go.

She knows what her brother looks like when he really likes someone, after the Paige thing, and she can see that look in his eye now. She thought she'd forgotten, but apparently some things never really change. 

"I'm dating Lydia," Cora gets out in a rush. "If Stiles can come, can she?"

"Is she the one who-" Derek makes a vague gesture at his lips, grimaces.

Cora smirks. "Yeah, she is."

"You're only seventeen," Derek says.

"So is Stiles," Cora tells him, and Derek winces.

"He has nowhere else to go for Thanksgiving," Derek says, and Cora shrugs.

"So me, you, Lydia, and Stiles?" Cora asks after a pause. 

Derek nods. "If that's okay. I know you only wanted a small thing, but-"

"No, it's fine," Cora says. It's mostly fine, and besides, Cora lying doesn't show up on Derek's radar. She's had too much practise. 

"Be careful with Lydia," Derek says. "She's dated two murderous monsters now."

"I'm pretty sure I'm a third," Cora smiles. "But I can handle myself."

Derek raises his eyebrows. "You've been spending too much time with Allison."

"You spend too much time by yourself," Cora says quietly.

Derek just stares at her for a minute, and Cora wonders at the person she's become.

Jesus, is she _mothering_ Derek?

-

Cora sleeps in on Thanksgiving, wakes up to the smell of Turkey in the oven and Derek looking stressed out. 

"Sheriff managed to get off shift, so he's coming too," Derek mutters at her, and Cora can't help but grin.

"Bit early to meet the parents isn't it?"

"Fuck off," Derek says, and Cora laughs.

"It's Thanksgiving," She calls, as she heads for the bathroom, "be nice!"

Cora tells herself that she's not spending this long in the shower for Lydia - it's been pretty busy at school, and they haven't seen much of each other outside of it. They've just been sneaking kisses where they can to the amusement of Stiles and Allison.

Besides, Thanksgiving is kind of an important day. Lydia's family drama kind of prevents enjoyable festive seasons, which is the whole reason Cora extended the invitation to her, and Cora just wants it to go well.

She hopes Derek can pull it off with the food.

It's not that she doesn't trust him, it's just that they've mostly lived on ready meals so far. He's not exactly gourmet at the best of times, and Thanksgiving dinner, even one for only four people, takes a lot of planning. 

When Cora's done with showering, she helps out in the kitchen by mashing potatoes. The counter space is a little limited, and Derek seems slightly frustrated by it, so Cora moves to the sofa and continues on the coffee table. It gets the job done, and it's not like their mashed potatoes need to be high tech.

Cora doesn't know how to make it the way her dad did, anyway, so it's not like it matters.

They work in ambient silence, some band that Cora's pretty sure she's heard Stiles raving about playing in the background. Lydia, Stiles, and apparently the Sheriff, won't be here for a few hours yet, so it doesn't really feel like they're rushing.

Derek looks tense, but Cora's not sure she's ever seen him relaxed, and as much as she worries about him - they've both had a very tumultous decade - she's kind of used to it now. 

Besides, there's a very understandable kind of stress that comes with having the father of the younger guy you're really into come over for Thanksgiving dinner. Derek couldn't even do a neat, tidy, everyday dinner. He went all out for Thanksgiving.

Damn but her brother has poor judgment sometimes. 

Stiles and his father arrive just as they're finishing up their respective jobs, which is pretty good timing. Cora's impressed by Derek's organization.

Stiles turns up at Derek's side miraculously, and they immediately fall deep into conversation. The look on Derek's face is perfectly matched by the one on Stiles', so Cora feels like she's leaving him in good hands.

"Happy holidays," the Sheriff says, and Cora nods. 

"Stiles said you were working," she tells him, and he nods.

"There was a lucky last minute switch of shifts," the Sheriff tells her. "But I didn't want Stiles to have to cancel on you two."

"No ulterior motives?" Cora asks, with a sideways glance to the kitchen area. Their apartment is pretty open plan so it's not like there are secrets in here anyway.

She hasn't realised until just now that Derek has shaved to meet Stiles' father. His perpetual scruff has vanished, leaving him looking oddly young and vulnerable.

He looks like the big brother she remembers, and not at all like the one she knows now, and she can feel tears prickling in the back of her eyes.

"Stiles talks about him a lot," the Sheriff says, bringing her back to the present. 

Cora nods. "Yeah, he does that at school, too," she says, and they share an amused glance.

Cora's pretty sure the Sheriff is going to mess with Derek, and she kind of wants to see it, but she wants Lydia to be here to enjoy it too.

Lydia, who's now ten minutes late.

She's either fashionably late or perfectly punctual, and she's never been fashionably late for Cora. Cora's not worried, she's just - she's worried.

She really likes Lydia, and she really wants Lydia here. To make fun of Derek and Stiles with her and the Sheriff, to eat good food and celebrate a holiday. To _spend time_ with.

She'll be on her way, Cora's sure. Lydia doesn't flake on people, ever.

Her phone vibrates in her pocket, and she has to apologize to the Sheriff, but it's Lydia.

It's Lydia, so it's okay.

Fuck, when did Cora get so invested in this thing that isn't even a month old? She's not the sentimental one, that's Derek, through and through.

"Lydia?" Cora answers the phone with. She's not going to pretend she doesn't have caller ID for the sake of politeness.

"I'm so sorry," Lydia says. "I'm on my way, I didn't want you to think I'd just quit on you."

"What happened?" Cora can't help but ask. Lydia doesn't really talk about her home life. She's not a person to open up, just like that. As far as Cora knows, even Allison only gets the fringes of it. 

"My mom doesn't know I like girls," Lydia says eventually. "Or, didn't, I guess."

"Are you okay?" Cora asks.

"I'm fine. I'm on my way."

"Okay," Cora says softly. "We won't start without you."

She hears Lydia exhale sharply. "See you in a bit," Lydia says, and hangs up.

It's not how their phone calls normally end.

Derek's looking at her weirdly when she hangs up, and that's when she realises he must have listened in. He raises his eyebrows at her, and she shakes her head, and she wonders when communication became so easy between the two of them. 

-

When Lydia arrives, the turkey is on the table and the Sheriff is sitting opposite Derek. Cora's torn between worrying about Lydia and laughing at him, because he's clearly trying to rile Derek up. Cora knows the Sheriff is aware of the full moon situation, which makes the whole thing even funnier. Stiles' father is not the slightest bit afraid. Cora can see where Stiles gets it from now. 

Derek doesn't question it when Cora takes Lydia aside before they sit down, doesn't even look their way as Cora tugs Lydia into the kitchen.

"What happened?" She asks.

Lydia smiles, but it's not as sharp as it normally is, and there's tightness at the corners that Cora isn't used to seeing.

"She'll get over it," Lydia says.

Cora bites her lip. "She shouldn't have to," she tells Lydia.

Lydia nods. "But she will." Lydia pauses, glances over Cora's shoulder. "Can we just - eat, and not talk about it?"

Cora nods, and steps aside so Lydia can lead the way to the dining table. She has no idea where they even got a dining table. Up until yesterday, she had no idea where they were going to eat.

Now she just has to determine the quality of the food. 

Lydia sits between her and the Sheriff, and Derek gets the carving knife and passes it to the Sheriff, out of deference.

"Happy Thanksgiving," Derek says with a glance at Cora as the Sheriff carves.

"Are we saying what we're thankful for?" Stiles asks, and Derek and Cora shrug in unison. 

"I think we'll dispense with that tradition," the Sheriff says, watching the two of them. Cora wonders what they look like to an outsider. Stiles' father isn't that much outside, she supposes. He knows that Cora's been gone for years, knows about werewolves. 

After the food has been served, there's a little beat of quiet while everyone digs in.

"This is good," Cora says, surprised.

Derek shoots her a dark look. "There's no need to sound surprised," he says.

Cora smirks. "You were a terrible cook when I was a kid."

Derek swallows around his mouthful. "Laura was worse," he says quietly, and Cora feels like she's tumbling into an abyss; tripping headlong into exactly the place she was trying to avoid today.

Lydia rescues the moment, somehow, and the rest of the meal is a blur. Cora keeps track of Derek, and Derek keeps track of her, and they draw strength from each other in no small way. Probably in a similar way the Stilinskis do, with the yawning absence of the third member of their family. Cora knows the feeling.

When they're sated, full bellies and conversation throwing easily, the Sheriff stands to make their excuses.

"I do actually have a late shift," he says apologetically, and Derek nods. He'd looked less nervous as the meal had progressed, and Cora's pretty proud of her older brother. 

"Thank you for coming," Derek says stiffly, standing to shake his hand. The Sheriff leans forward to mutter in Derek's ear.

Cora catches: "I was 8 years older than Claudia," and "Be good to him," as the tips of Derek's ears go pink. 

She can't hold in a giggle, and Stiles shoots her a curious look. 

His father goes to wait by the door, sending Stiles a quirk of his eyebrows that Cora can't interpret, and Stiles shuffles closer to Derek and - Stiles hugs him.

Cora doesn't know what to do with that, Derek looks just as confused as she does. Stiles tilts his head up, and catches Derek's lips in a kiss, and Cora looks away.

She ends up meeting the Sheriff's eyes, who's also pointedly looking away.

"You don't have to go home yet," Cora tells Lydia, who nods.

"You have your own room," Lydia states, and Cora frowns.

"Sure," she says.

"We should go upstairs," Lydia tells her. "I want to see your room." Her voice has an undertone to it that Cora recognizes, one that makes Cora want to kiss her until they're both gasping for air. 

"My brother has super hearing," Cora reminds her, and Lydia grins.

"He can turn it off," she says, and tugs Cora towards the stairs. 

When Cora turns, the back of Derek's neck is flushing pink, and Stiles' cheeks are burning red as he's on his way out.

"Bye, Cora," he calls, and Cora smiles.

There are worse people her brother could date, she's pretty sure.


End file.
